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SHREWTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL SHREWTON

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

For

WILTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

CA PROJECT: 1911 CA REPORT: 05032

MARCH 2005

SHREWTON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL SHREWTON WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

CA PROJECT: 1911 CA REPORT: 05032

Author: Derek Evans

Approved: Mary Alexander

Signed: …………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 1 MARCH 2005

This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.

Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4

The site ...... 4 Archaeological background...... 5 Archaeological objectives ...... 5 Methodology ...... 5

2. RESULTS ...... 6

Field 1 (Trenches 1-4)...... 6 Trench 5 (Field 2)...... 7 Trench 6 (Field 2)...... 7 Trench 7 (Field 2)...... 7 Trench 8 (Field 2)...... 8 Trench 9 (Field 2)...... 8 The Finds ...... 9 The Biological Evidence...... 9

3. DISCUSSION...... 9

Post-medieval/undated (Field 2) ...... 9 Late post-medieval/19th century (Field 2 earthworks) ...... 10 Modern (Field 1)...... 11 Conclusions ...... 12

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 12

5. REFERENCES ...... 13

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 14 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS...... 17 APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES...... 18

1 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:50 000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features (1:1000) Fig. 3 Sections AA (chalk track 503) and BB (water channel 603)

2 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

SUMMARY

Site Name: Shrewton Church of England Primary School Location: Shrewton, Wiltshire NGR: SU 0680 4400 Type: Evaluation Date: 14-17 February 2004 Location of Archive: To be deposited with Salisbury Museum Site Code: SSS 05

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in February 2005 on land at Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire, at the request of Wiltshire County Council Environmental Services Department. In compliance with an approved written scheme of investigation, nine trenches were excavated within the proposed development area.

The evaluation did not establish a high degree of correlation between earthworks previously recorded at the site by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments and the below-ground archaeological remains. In those instances where such a relationship could be shown the earthworks were found to result from post-medieval/modern structures, apparently those shown on 19th century cartographic sources. A small number of minor undated ditches and pits were also uncovered, as was an undated but probably pre-1773 water channel. Late post-medieval/modern disturbance of the ground was widespread, especially in the present school field, but the retrieval of only a single residual sherd of medieval pottery suggests that there was not extensive occupation of the site in the medieval period.

3 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In February 2005 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation of land at Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire (centred at NGR: SU 0680 4400; Fig. 1) at the request of Wiltshire County Council (WCC) Environmental Services Department.

1.2 This archaeological evaluation was requested by WCC, following consultation between the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and Helena Cave-Penney, County Archaeological Officer for WCC, in advance of an application for the redevelopment of the existing school site to provide for a new school and residential development, and the conversion of an adjacent pasture field into a new school playing field.

1.3 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a brief for archaeological recording prepared by Helena Cave-Penney (WCC 2004) and with a subsequent Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2005) and approved by the LPA acting on the advice of Helena Cave-Penney. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999), the Standard for Archaeological Assessment and Field Evaluation (WCCAS 1995) and the Management of Archaeological Projects II (EH 1991). It was monitored by Helena Cave-Penney, including site visits on the 16th and 17th of February.

The site

1.4 The proposed development area encloses approximately 1.5ha and incorporates the existing school site – occupied by school buildings, a playing field and a tarmac playground – and a field to the west which is currently under pasture (termed Fields 1 and 2 for the purposes of this report – Fig. 2). These two areas are at present divided by Tanners Lane. The site is bounded by the High Street to the east and by residential properties elsewhere.

1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as River and Valley Gravel deposits over Upper Chalk (BGS 1959).

4 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Archaeological background

1.6 Archaeological interest in the site arises from a series of earthworks visible in Field 2 (see Fig. 2). Surveyed by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments in the 1980s, these were presumed to be part of the medieval village of Maddington first mentioned in AD 1178 (WCC 2004). The site is situated close to the centre of modern Shrewton, approximately 250m from the Church of St Mary, which is largely 19th century in date but retains elements of an earlier Norman church (Pevsner 1985). Medieval pottery is reported from the garden of ‘Springside’, but the location of this property in relation to the present site is unknown (WCC 2004).

Archaeological objectives

1.7 The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date, significance and extent of any archaeological remains or deposits surviving within the site. The evaluation was also intended to test the hypothesis that the earthworks visible in Field 2 related to medieval occupation of the site. This information will assist the Local Planning Authority in making an informed judgement on the likely impact upon the archaeological resource by the proposed development.

Methodology

1.8 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of nine trenches. These measured 20m in length, except for two 15m-long trenches in Field 2. All trenches were at least 1.6m in width. It was necessary to reposition some of the trenches from the layout proposed in the WSI (CA 2005) due to the presence of trees, concrete/tarmac surfaces and above- and below-ground services. These alterations were undertaken with the approval of Helena Cave-Penney; the revised trench layout is shown on Fig. 2.

1.9 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996).

5 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

1.10 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other samples from Archaeological Sites (2003). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation (1995).

1.11 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive (including artefacts) will be deposited with Salisbury Museum.

2. RESULTS

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts and finds are to be found in Appendices 1 and 2 respectively. Details of the relative heights of the principal deposits and features expressed as metres Above Ordnance Datum (m AOD) appear in Appendix 3. Figure 2 should be consulted in conjunction with this section.

Field 1 (Trenches 1-4)

2.2 The natural substrate was revealed in the Field 1 trenches at depths of 0.75m-0.95m below the present ground level (BPGL) and comprised pale flint and chalk gravels. Cut into the natural substrate in all four trenches were a series of ditches; those in the northern area of the field (Trenches 1 and 2) were orientated roughly north- west/south-east, while those in the south (Trenches 3 and 4) displayed a north- east/south-west orientation. These ditches varied in width from 0.9m (ditch 405) to 5m (ditch 106) and, excepting ditch 208, contained similar gravelly fills from which modern building material was recovered. Ditch 208 had a sandier infill and yielded no artefactual material. Two undated treeboles (contexts 104 and 105) were also recorded cutting the natural substrate in Trench 2.

2.3 These features were sealed in all four of the Field 1 trenches by 0.1m-0.2m of redeposited natural material, which was in turn covered by up to 0.45m of subsoil. This subsoil layer included frequent modern building rubble; Trench 4 contained

6 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

especially large fragments of such material. The subsoil was sealed by 0.3m-0.4m of modern topsoil and turf, which formed the present surface of the school playing field.

Trench 5 (Field 2)

2.4 The gravel natural substrate lay at an average of 0.55m BPGL. Cut into this in the northern end of the trench was an east-north-east/west-south-west orientated ditch (context 508). Measuring 0.5m in width and 0.14m in depth, this feature contained no dating evidence within its gravelly fill.

2.5 The natural substrate and ditch 508 were sealed by up to 0.4m of subsoil. This was cut by 511, the construction cut for a north-west/south-east aligned trackway (Fig. 3). The trackway itself survived as a sequence of thin bands of gravel and ashy material (contexts 504-506), topped off by compacted chalk layer 503. 19th century artefacts were recovered from deposit 505. Also cut through the subsoil was 509, an undated but presumably modern feature measuring 0.8m in width with very regular, vertical sides.

2.6 The subsoil and the features outlined in the above paragraph were sealed by 0.4m of modern topsoil.

Trench 6 (Field 2)

2.7 The natural substrate in Trench 6 comprised especially clean gravels and was revealed at 0.5m BPGL. Cut into this was a substantial water channel, 603 (Fig. 3). Measuring 7.7m wide and 0.75m deep, this north-south orientated feature yielded no dating evidence from its alluvial clay/gravel fill. Also cut into the natural substrate was a 0.18m-deep pit of 1m diameter (context 604) which contained post-medieval artefactual material.

2.8 Both of these features were sealed by 0.3m of subsoil, which was in turn overlain by 0.2m of modern topsoil.

Trench 7 (Field 2)

2.9 The natural substrate lay at 0.5m BPGL. It was cut in the northern end of the trench by 705, a 0.45m deep ditch orientated north-east/south-west and containing no

7 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

dating evidence within its gravelly fill. A second undated feature (context 706), possibly comprising either a pit or the terminus of another ditch, lay to the immediate west of ditch 705.

2.10 The above-mentioned ditches/pits were sealed by 0.25m of subsoil which was cut by 707, the construction cut for wall footing 703. The 0.6m wide footing was aligned north-west/south-east and was constructed of large, irregular sandstone blocks set around a flint core. The structure survived to a single course in height (0.15m) and was bedded on 708, a deposit of crushed flint nodules in a silty matrix.

2.11 Immediately south of wall footing 703, Trench 7 was occupied by an area of disturbance, 704, infilled by a deep deposit of dark gravelly silt which contained fairly common late post-medieval/modern artefacts. Despite being excavated to 1.2m BPGL, the natural substrate was not exposed in this region. Both this area of disturbance and wall footing 703 were directly sealed by up to 0.3m of modern topsoil.

Trench 8 (Field 2)

2.12 The natural substrate was revealed at an average depth of 0.5m BPGL, where it was sealed by 0.3m of subsoil. A large area of disturbance, 804, cut through this subsoil into the natural layer below and was filled by late post-medieval/modern building rubble in a gravelly matrix (context 805). The uppermost 0.4m of this disturbance contained crumbly concrete/mortar deposit 806, possibly representing an old surface. This was sealed by modern topsoil.

Trench 9 (Field 2)

2.13 The natural gravel substrate lay at an average depth of 0.8m BPGL, sloping down from north to south. It was sealed by 902, a 0.5m deep clay-silt deposit containing common flint gravels which also sloped down to the south. This layer was in turn covered by 0.35m of subsoil and modern topsoil.

8 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

The Finds

2.14 Small quantities of post-medieval/modern artefacts were recovered during the evaluation, including pottery, animal bone, glass, ceramic building material, clay pipe, slag and metal objects.

2.15 A single sherd of possible medieval scratched ware was recovered from the bedding for wall 703 (context 708); this appears to be residual as it occurs alongside a sherd of 17th to 18th century glazed red earthenware.

2.16 Pit fill 605 contained post-medieval objects and chalk trackway 503 yielded 19th century material (in layer 505). All other pottery retrieved from the evaluation was modern in date.

The Biological Evidence

2.17 As palaeoenvironmental potential was deemed to be low no deposits were sampled during the evaluation.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Although a number of features were revealed by the evaluation, all of those which could be dated belonged to the post-medieval/modern periods, with no secure evidence for earlier activity at the site.

Post-medieval/undated (Field 2)

3.2 Five of the features revealed in Field 2 were sealed by the subsoil layer: water channel 603, post-medieval pit 604, and the undated ditches/pits from Trenches 5 and 7 (contexts 508, 705 and 706). The clayey deposit, 903, in Trench 9 was also overlain by the subsoil. The subsoil was cut by and therefore predates post-1810 boundary wall 703 and 19th century chalk trackway 503 (see below); as it also sealed 16th-18th century pit 604 this suggests that the subsoil was deposited at some point in the late post-medieval period. As such, the undated features/layers outlined above are certainly pre-19th century in origin, but a more precise date is

9 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

difficult to determine. Water channel 603 is not recorded on any of the consulted historic maps of the site (see bibliography), suggesting that it pre-dates Andrews and Dury’s 1773 map. Whether it is a former tributary of the River Till, an artificial (drainage?) channel, or something else altogether cannot be ascertained at present.

3.3 The provenance of the clayey layer (context 903) overlying the natural substrate in Trench 9 is uncertain. It is possible that it represents an artificial deposit laid in order to create the raised area visible in the north-western corner of the site, but the archaeologically sterile nature of this material might argue against such a hypothesis. It may also be alluvial material deposited by flooding action, such as the severe flash floods of the area recorded in 1841 (WCC Wiltshire Community History website), but this raises the question of the layer’s absence in the other Field 2 evaluation trenches. The matter remains unresolved at this stage.

Late post-medieval/19th century (Field 2 earthworks)

3.4 With some exceptions, such as the raised area in the north-west of Field 2 and a prominent ridge running north-west/south-east through its centre, the earthworks surveyed by the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments were generally ephemeral in nature, often being no more than a few centimetres high. In only two instances could a direct correlation be made between these earthworks and any below-ground remains: a raised chalk trackway (context 503) accounted for the most prominent north-west/south-east earthwork ridge and a second ridge immediately to the north of this alignment covered the remains of a wall (context 703) in Trench 7, although there was no sign of this feature within Trench 5. No structural remains were revealed within Trench 9 to account for the raised area within this region of the site, although as mentioned above a deep deposit of apparently alluvial material was unique to this trench. Conversely, the substantial water channel exposed in Trench 6 was not indicated by the overlying earthworks, and nor were the undated ditches and pits uncovered in Trenches 5 and 7.

3.5 Andrews and Dury’s 1773 and 1810 maps of the site show Field 2 as occupied by buildings within enclosed plots of land (gardens?). By the time of the 1889 Ordnance Survey (OS) map only the southern half of the field was still built upon, with light tree growth covering the remainder. This is possibly a consequence of the 1841 floods, which are known to have destroyed a number of buildings in the area (WCC Wiltshire Community History website). A boundary line shown on the 1889 map

10 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

corresponds approximately in location with wall 703 and the associated earthwork ridge (this boundary line is shown on Fig. 2). The single sherds of medieval and 17th-18th century pottery recovered from the bedding for this wall might suggest an earlier date for its construction, but as the boundary line is absent from the earlier maps it is probable that this material is residual.

3.6 Additionally, the earthworks south of the line of chalk trackway 503 match fairly well with the substantial buildings shown in this area on the 1889 map (it is not apparent from the map if these are residential or farm structures). 19th century trackway 503 would appear to be a path/driveway leading from Tanner’s Lane to these buildings. It is likely that possible floor surface 806 and the large areas of disturbance recorded in Trenches 7 and 8 also relate to these buildings and their demolition. While the origin of the earthworks to the north of the 1889 field boundary is less certain, on this basis it is not unreasonable to tentatively assign them to the buildings shown in the area on the 1773 and 1810 cartography.

Modern (Field 1)

3.7 The various modern ditches recorded within Field 1 appear to be land drainage features running towards a series of outlets into the water channel separating the school land from the High Street. A possible exception is ditch 208, which displays a different orientation and a sandier, undated fill; the provenance of this feature remains uncertain at this stage. The relatively deep subsoil/topsoil deposits containing frequent building rubble and the layers of redeposited natural material recorded in Field 1 suggest that this area of the site has been heavily disturbed in the post-medieval period, with truncation of the natural substrate likely. This might have taken place during the construction of the buildings shown occupying Field 1 on Andrews and Dury’s 1776 and 1810 maps of the area, or during their demolition (which must have occurred between 1810 and 1889 as the OS map for the latter year shows the present school site as an empty field; again, it is possible that the 1841 floods played a part in this). It is probable that the large quantities of late post- medieval building rubble present within the Field 1 subsoil also relate to these buildings. Landscaping of the site during the construction of the present school playing field (around 1968) will also have had an impact.

11 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Conclusions

3.8 The earthworks previously surveyed in Field 2 appear to relate to late post medieval/modern activity. Although the site was clearly greatly disturbed by post- medieval/modern construction, the retrieval of only a single residual sherd of medieval pottery counters the hypothesis that it was extensively occupied in the medieval period. The small scale of the evaluation, however, means that no firm conclusions can be drawn on this issue.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Derek Evans, Franco Vartuca, Jon Webster and Alan Wright. The report was written by Derek Evans. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled by Derek Evans, and prepared for deposition by Sam Inder. The project was managed for CA by Mary Alexander.

12 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

5. REFERENCES

Printed sources

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1959 Geological survey of Great Britain (England and Wales) Sheet 282: Devizes

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2002 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

Pevsner, N 1985 The Buildings of England: Wiltshire

WCC (Wiltshire County Council) 2004 Archaeological brief: Field Evaluation, Shrewton primary school and adjoining land

Cartographic sources

Andrews and Dury 1773 Map of Wiltshire

Andrews and Dury 1810 Map of Wiltshire

1889 Ordnance Survey map of Shrewton

Internet sites

WCC (Wiltshire County Council) Wiltshire Community History www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getcom.php?id=202 (accessed 03/03/05)

13 Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1

100 Topsoil – mid-dark brown silt. Depth 0.35m 101 Mid-dark brown clayey silt containing flint and chalk gravels. Frequent late post-medieval building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth 0.4m 102 ?Redeposited natural – as 103, but notably siltier. Depth 0.2m 103 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 104 Probable tree bole – irregular, 0.4m deep feature cut into 103; frequent root action visible 105 Probable tree bole – irregular, 0.35m deep feature cut into 103; frequent root action visible 106 5m wide ditch running WNW/ESE; dark gravelly clay-silt infill contained frequent late post- medieval/modern building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth >0.5m

Trench 2

200 Topsoil – mid-dark brown silt. Depth 0.4m 201 Mid-dark brown clayey silt containing flint and chalk gravels. Frequent late post-medieval building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth 0.3m 202 ?Redeposited natural – as 103, but notably siltier. Depth 0.15m 203 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 204 Variation within natural substrate – pale brown-yellow gravelly sandy silt 205 As 204 206 As 204 207 Fill of 208 – mid brown sandy silt with frequent flint inclusions 208 NW/SE orientated ditch. Width 1.2m; depth 0.39m

Trench 3

300 Topsoil – mid-dark brown silt. Depth 0.3m 301 Mid-dark brown clayey silt containing flint and chalk gravels. Frequent late post-medieval building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth 0.4m 302 ?Redeposited natural – as 103, but notably siltier. Depth 0.1m 303 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 304 NE/SW orientated ditch; dark gravelly clay-silt infill contained frequent late post medieval building rubble and pottery sherds. Width approx. 3.5m; depth >0.5m 305 NE/SW orientated ditch; dark gravelly clay-silt infill contained frequent late post medieval/modern building rubble and pottery sherds. Only exposed in SE end of trench; not excavated

Trench 4

400 Topsoil – mid-dark brown silt. Depth 0.3m 401 Mid-dark brown clayey silt containing flint and chalk gravels. Very frequent large fragments of late post- medieval/modern building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth 0.45m 402 ?Redeposited natural – as 103, but notably siltier. Depth 0.15m 403 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 404 Modern water pipe in concrete casing (defunct) 405 NE/SW orientated ditch; contained modern material in its gravelly clay-silt infill. Width 0.9m; depth 0.3m 406 As 405. Not excavated

Trench 5

500 Topsoil – dark brown clayey silt. Depth 0.4m 501 Mid-dark brown clay-silt with frequent flint and chalk gravels; occasional animal bone and late post- medieval/modern pottery present. Depth 0.4m 502 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 503 Compacted layer of chalk running in a 2.4m-wide strip aligned NW/SE; camber visible in upper surface. Depth 0.16m 504 ?Bedding for 503 – dark grey-brown silt with frequent charcoal inclusions; contained modern artefacts. Depth 80mm 505 Mid brown gravelly chalky silt. Depth 0.16m 506 Pale orange-brown chalky gravelly silt – ?redeposited natural; depth 60mm 507 Fill of 508 – dark brown gravelly chalky silt 508 SW/NE orientated ditch. Width 0.5m; depth 0.14m 509 Roughly square cut with vertical sides; cuts subsoil 501. Width 0.8m; depth >0.7m 510 Fill of 509 – gravelly clayey silt 511 Construction cut for trackway 503-506. Cuts subsoil 501

Trench 6

600 Topsoil – dark brown clayey silt. Depth 0.2m 601 Mid-dark brown clay-silt with frequent flint and chalk gravels; occasional animal bone and late post- medieval/modern pottery. Depth 0.3m 602 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 603 Water channel – runs N/S; filled by bright orange-brown silty clay with flint gravel inclusions. Width 7.7m; depth 0.75m 604 Circular pit cut. Diameter 1m; depth 0.18m 605 Fill of 604 – dark brown gravelly clay-silt containing late post-medieval/modern artefacts

Trench 7

700 Topsoil – dark brown clayey silt. Depth 0.25m 701 Subsoil – mid-dark brown clay-silt with frequent flint and chalk gravels; occasional animal bone and late post-medieval/modern pottery. Depth 0.25m 702 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 703 Wall footing composed of large, irregular sandstone blocks around a flint rubble core. Orientated NW/SE; width 0.6m; survives to one course depth (0.15m) 704 Large area of disturbance infilled by dark grey/black clayey silt with frequent flint gravels; contains fairly frequent late post-medieval/modern building rubble and pottery sherds. Depth >1m 705 NE/SW orientated ditch filled by mid grey-brown clay-silt with flint and chalk gravels. Depth 0.45m 706 ?Circular pit/?ditch terminus; vertical sides and flat-slightly concave base; filled by mid grey-brown clay- silt with flint and chalk gravels. Width 1.1m; depth 0.55m 707 Construction cut for 703. Cuts subsoil 701 708 Bedding for 703 – crushed flint nodules in a grey-brown clay-silt matrix

Trench 8

801 Topsoil – dark brown clayey silt. Depth 0.2m 802 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels 803 Subsoil – mid-dark brown clay-silt with frequent flint and chalk gravels; occasional animal bone and late post-medieval/modern pottery. Depth 0.3m 804 Modern disturbance. Width >16m; depth >0.8m 805 1st fill of 804 – flint gravels in a dark grey-black clayey matrix; high frequency of modern building rubble (concrete, red brick, slate, etc.) 806 2nd fill of 804 – crumbly concrete/mortar, possibly forming an old surface. Width 5m; depth 0.4m

Trench 9

900 Topsoil – dark brown clayey silt. Depth 0.2m 901 Subsoil – mid-dark brown clay-silt with frequent flint and chalk gravels; occasional animal bone and late post-medieval/modern pottery. Depth 0.15m 902 As 901, but with a lower frequency of gravel inclusions; sterile deposit with no artefactual material. Depth 0.5m 903 Natural substrate – pale yellow gravels

APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS

Context Description Count Wt (g) Spot-date

105 Pottery: China 1 2 C19+ Ceramic building material 3 23 Vessel glass 1 1 106 Pottery: China 5 16 C19+ Ceramic building material 2 8 Vessel Glass 1 3 Animal bone 1 7 304 Ceramic building material 3 12

405 Ceramic building material 1 16 Slate 1 20 Window glass 1 3 Fe nail 1 20 503 Ceramic building material 9 344 Post-medieval Stone 2 33 Animal bone 1 37 Slag 2 32 Fe nails 6 68 505 Ceramic building material 6 235 C19 Glass vessel 2 456 Animal bone 8 74 Snail shell 3 1 Fe nails 8 40 Fe objects 3 320 605 Clay pipe 4 5 Post-medieval Animal bone 6 5 Glazed tile 1 1 Flint 1 1 708 Pottery: Medieval scratch-marked ware?, glazed 1 3 C17th-C18th red earthenware

APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES

Levels are expressed as metres below current ground level and as metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD), calculated using the benchmark located at St Mary’s Church, High Street, Shrewton (81.28m AOD).

Trench 1 Trench 2 Trench 3 Trench 4 Trench 5 Current ground level 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m (81.34m- (79.56m) (79.8m) (79.4m) (79.65m) 82.16m) Trackway 503 (top) 0.2m (81.65m) Natural substrate (limit 0.9m 1.1m 0.7m 0.9m 0.56m of excavation) (78.66m) (78.7m) (78.7m) (78.75m) (80.84m- 81.6m)

Trench 6 Trench 7 Trench 8 Trench 9 Current ground level 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m (81.8m- (81.35m- (80.95m) (82.85- 82.3m) 81.45m) 84.09m) Water channel 603(top) 0.58m (81.4m) Water channel 603 1.3m (base) (80.82m) Wall 703 (top) 0.4m (81.23m) ?Alluvial deposit 903 0.35m (82.5m- 83.74m)

Natural substrate (limit 0.37m- 0.83m 0.5m 0.8m of excavation) 0.74m (80.52m) (80.45m) (82.05m- (81.43m- 83.29m) 81.56m)

Upper figures are depth below modern ground level; lower figures in parentheses are metres AOD.

18 Reproduced from the 1994 Ordnance Survey Landranger map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust AL50196A

Site

0 5km

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Wiltshire Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire FIGURE TITLE Site location plan

SCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 1:50,000@A4 1911 1 Reproduced from the 2005 Ordnance Survey Superplan map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust AL50196A

068068

ditchditch 208208 treeboletreebole T2 104104 wwateraterater channelchannel treeboletreebole 603603 T6 105105 ditchditch 106106 pitpit T9 B B 604604 T1

ditchditch T4 406406 ditchditch 508508 ditchditch T3 405405 ditchditch ditchditch ditchditch 509509 304304 305305 T5 pit?pit? chalkchalk tracktrtracack 706706 ditchditch A 440 503503 705705 A wallwallall T7 703703

modermmodernodern disturbancedisturbance 804804 T8

FIELD 1 FIELD 2

SUSU

0 100m

site COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

evaluation trench PROJECT TITLE Shrewton Church of England Primary archaological feature School, Shrewton, Wiltshire earthworks surveyed by the Royal FIGURE TITLE Commission on Historic Monuments Trench location plan, showing archaeological features approximate line of field boundary shown SCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. on 1889 Ordnance Survey map 1:1000@A4 1911 2 Section AA: chalk track 503

topsoil 500

N 503 S

subsoil 504 501 505 subsoil chalk track 506 501 natural flint 502 natural 511 502

0 2m

Section BB: water channel 603

SE NW

topsoil 600

subsoil 601

water channel 603

0 5m

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Shrewton Church of England Primary School, Shrewton, Wiltshire FIGURE TITLE Sections AA and BB

SCALE @ A3 PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 1:20 and 1:50 1911 3